Apparatus for building roads.



T. BREWER.

APPARATUS POR BUILDING ROADS.

APPLIoA'rIoN funn 11110.5,1s1s- 1,124,847. Panama 11111.12, 1915.

wbt/Meson UNITED STATES THOMAS BREWER, OF

APPARATUS FOR HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA.

BUILDING ROADS.

Specification o! Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. i2. 191 5.

Application med August 5. 1913. Scrla1`No.783.104.

To all vwlw/a -1' t ma'i/ concern lle it known tint I, THOMAS BREWER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ilomestead, in the county of Dade and State of Florida, have invented new and useful improvements in Ap Jaratus for Building Roads, of which the iollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for building roads and it includes the novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of the invention is to )rovide apparatus to be used in a method or economically building roads in localities where surface rock of comparatively soft texture prevails.

In some sections of the country at or irnmediately below the surface of the soil there exists solid rock formation as for instance phosphate rock or lime stone. This rock is of comparatively soft texture but at the same time fissures, crevices, holes and stumps of trees are found at more or less frequent intervals in and upon the saine.

ln constructing roads over this character of land it has heretofore been the practice to remove the stumps of the trees by blasting or otherwise and after this has been (lone com iaratively small pieces of rock have been iiauled in and filled into the crevices, holes and fissures and into the holes left by the removal of the stumps. After a foundation has thus been constructed a road bed is laid upon the same and is rolled or smoothed in any convenient manner. This method is extremely expensive for the reason that much of the material in the foundation must be handled manually in order to properly place the same preparatory to the ayin of the surface.

lt is the object of the present invention to prepare the road bed or foundation and spread and smooth the surface at one and the same operation thereby eliminating much labor and consequently7 reducing the ex )ense of building the road.

he apparatus employed comprises a heavy traction engine provided upon the periphery of its drive Wheels with radially dis osed spikes which are adapted to crack or Aracture the surface of the rock. Hitched to the traction engine and drawn immediately behind the same is an extremely heavy sacrifier and hitched to the scarier and drawn immediately behind the same is a drag of heavy pattern. Therefore as the engine travels over the line along which the road is to be constructed the spikes break up the surface portion of the rock and at the same time they all'ord sallicient traction between the wheels of the engine and the ground to prevent the wheels from slipping. rlhc scarifier following immediately behind the engine breaks and disintcgrates the material into comparatively small rocks or particles and the drag 'following immediately behind the scariiicr levels and spreads the material whereby the surface of the road is formed.

In the accompanying drawings:-'l`he figure is a side elevation of the apparatus.

As hereinbefore stated the method as iinproved for building roads is simplified over the methods heretofore in vogue in that the material is distributed and placed by the use of machinery along the road instead of being placed manually as explained.

The present method consists in removing by blasting or otherwise the stumps of trees from the right of way over which the road is to be laid. The holes thus produced are left open and no attempt is made to lill the natural holes or erevices in the surface rock. 'l`lie heavy traction engine having radially disposed spikes at the periphcries of its driving wheels is passed over the right of way. These spikes break up the surface rock to a certain extent and leave comparatively small crevices or fissures in the same. Drawn immediately behind the traction engine and by the same is a scarilicr having teeth which enter the surface rock and fracture or break the same into small particles. Drawn immediately behind the scarilier and by the same is a. drag which spreads the material and fills the same into all ot' the tissures, holes and crevices, thus the surface ol" the road is formed at a single operation and at the time that the foundation for the surface is prepared for its positioning thereon. Subsequent to the spreading of the material as above indicated the surface oll the road may be rolled around if desired. Furthermore the drafr may be disposed at an acute angle to the hue of draft ot' the traction cngine in order that the material may be moved toward the middle of the road or toward the side thereof as desired.

As shown in the accompanying drawing the traction engine 1 is of extremely heavy type and the said engine is provided about the periphery of its driving wheels with radially disposed spikes 2. A scarifier 3 is hitched to the traction engine 1 and is adapted to travel immediately behind the same. The scarifier il is provided with a series of teeth 4 which are-adapted to enter Lhe surface portion of the roclc and eii'ectually break or reduce the same to comparatively small particles. A drag is hitched to the seariiier and travels imluediatclv behind the same. This drag may be o any approred pattern, care being taken however that it must be of a very heavy type.

Therefore it will be seen that by following the steps of the method hereinbefore dcs-erihed and by using the apparatus shown and described a great saving may be effected in building roads inasmuch as the material is reduced to small particles and properly positioned upon thc road bed at one operation.

The apparatus hereinbefore described may also be used economically for reducing thc surface rock to comparatively7 small bodies or particles when it is desired to convert the roclt into soil adapted to be used for agricultural purposes.

A field which is treated as hereinbefore described is not rolled or packed and consequently the air and rain may permeate the loose particles of rock at the surface and soften or rot the same whereby it is converted into a rich soil. 'lhis method may also be u f'ed for repairingr or rebuilding roads whereby the roads may be kept in a good serviceable condition and free of ruts ete.

Having described the invention what is claimed 1s:-

Apparatus for transforming surface rock into a road while the roch remains in its natural position, comprising means for cracking the surface of the roel", means for scarifying the surface of the roel: transversely of the cracks, and means for distributing the material loosened at the sur- 'lace ot' the rock to ill the creviees and de pressions in the same and to produce a comparatively smooth roadway, all of said means being:r connected together and adapted to perform their functions successively in the order named as all of the means are simultaneously moved over the rock.

In testimony whereof I alli); my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS BREWER. Witnesses:

H. P. CLEMENTS, lV. J. TwnnnnLL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained tot vo cents nach, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

